Disney World

[Squints]

I was going to post before I left on where exactly to go and do, but my wife already had everything booked and planned.

However, now that I am back I must say that this was one of the best vacations that I have taken. To see it (Disney) through a child's eyes was incredible and you can almost rewind your life back to that time when you were a child when innocence was not lost.

If it's in your means, everyone should try to make down there if you haven't already, especially those of us with younger kids, but it's for everyone too- incredible customer service from everyone, exceptionally clean and everything was easily acessable. It wasn't all sunshine and roses- to say it was crowded is to say the Browns are a below average football team and I witnessed some of the rudest behavior from adults that I ever have in my life given the setting. However, I still had an awesome time and would highly recomend it to anyone.

[Ziner]

I was going to post before I left on where exactly to go and do, but my wife already had everything booked and planned.

However, now that I am back I must say that this was one of the best vacations that I have taken. To see it (Disney) through a child's eyes was incredible and you can almost rewind your life back to that time when you were a child when innocence was not lost.

If it's in your means, everyone should try to make down there if you haven't already, especially those of us with younger kids, but it's for everyone too- incredible customer service from everyone, exceptionally clean and everything was easily acessable. It wasn't all sunshine and roses- to say it was crowded is to say the Browns are a below average football team and I witnessed some of the rudest behavior from adults that I ever have in my life given the setting. However, I still had an awesome time and would highly recomend it to anyone.

Went when I was a child and being an Ohio kid and all about roller coasters I still havent gotten over the fact that Space Mountain was closed when we went.

[Bill the Butcher]

I'm a closet Disney World fan.

The rare times I tell my friends, people my age, or people older than me that I love Disney World, even now, they look at me like I'm a weirdo.

Disney World kicks ass. I went a few times when I was a little kid and I just recently went about 3 years ago. Growing up, my idol was Indiana Jones, so when I was a kid the live show was my favorite. When I went back 3 years ago, I was wondering if it was going to be the same. And it was. The giant boulder. The fight against the big guy by the moving military plane. The fake audience member going on stage and "volunteering". Hasn't changed. And that's awesome.

Other parts I really enjoyed from 3 years ago was:
-the stunt driving show
-Animal Kingdom and the Kalamanjaro Safari
-The Haunted Mansion
-Epcot (Mexico and Colonial USA [i could eat those giant turkey legs every day for the rest of my life])

[Squints]

Went when I was a child and being an Ohio kid and all about roller coasters I still havent gotten over the fact that Space Mountain was closed when we went.

The last time I went I was 5 years old. I have a few memories of it and one of the ones was being freaked out by Space Mountain. I rode it alone, wife has inner ear issues and my daughter just would not like it, our last day and excerised some deamons still haunting me!!

[Bayou Tribe]

Effin A, I love Disney World. I've been 5 times and it never gets old. Space Mountain, Rockin Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, and even Epcot is starting to pull some weight with the hang gliding ride and the fireworks/laser show.

If you don't mind some crowds and spending a little money on food it's a great place.

[Bill the Butcher]

...even Epcot is starting to pull some weight with the hang gliding ride and the fireworks/laser show.

Son of a gun, I forgot to mention those. The hang gliding ride was excellent. When you fly over the orange farm, you start to smell oranges. CRAZY!!!

TCF Disney World Trip - 2015!!!

No? Darn...

[idoctribefan]

i've moved around a lot. Spent a few years as a kid living about 15 minutes from Disney World. We went probably 10 times or so. Haven't been back since 2000. The Animal Kingdom sounds pretty neat (don't think it was open last time I was down there) so I'm planning on taking the wife down there and staying at the Animal Kingdom resort in the near future.

[Commodore Perry]

I recommend getting the meal plan. It makes the vacation much more fun. You can sit down at any restaurant, get a full course meal and dessert and not get a bill. It takes away the angst of having to look at the high prices for food, even though you are prepaying it. It makes it feel like vacation.

We were there a few years ago, and I thought the customer services was average at best. But we were with a large group.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

I'm a big fan of Disney World. Been an annual passholder for about five years now. Usuually go at least a half dozen times a year, probably more and it doesn't get old. I don't tend to go for whole days and will often visit Universal or Sea World while I'm up there, depending on the schedule for the day.

If you visit from out of town it is always wise to find ways to talk with locals before going because they have a good feel for when it is best to visit. For instance, the slowest time of the year is from Thanksgiving to the week before Christmas. It slows down from a week after New Year's up until mid-March. Each park also peaks in attendance at different times during the week. Disney Studios, for instance, generally is the most packed in on Sunday. Epcot is generally busiest on Saturday. Magic Kingdom peaks in the middle of the week most often and Animal Kingdom actually is busiest on Monday or Tuesday.

Christmas is always a fun time to go to the parks. Each park and hotel is decked out with decorations. It is an experience just hopping buses to the different resorts on property that time of year.

For out of towners I know it can get pricey, but I'd recommend staying on property. Doing so makes WDW feel like a real refuge. You can take the buses everywhere. You get the parks opening early or staying open late just for resort guests. And even the least expensive resorts are well themed.

Lots of stuff to do outside of the parks themselves. The waterparks are very well done if you're there when they're open. And you haven't experienced miniature golf until you've done it at one of Disney's courses. Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland are certainly the most unique and well done mini golf courses I've ever seen - and they can be very tricky.

[FUDU]

Went when I was a child and being an Ohio kid and all about roller coasters I still havent gotten over the fact that Space Mountain was closed when we went.

That's what happens when Ric Flair rides it all night long.

[jack_tors]

Christmas is always a fun time to go to the parks. Each park and hotel is decked out with decorations. It is an experience just hopping buses to the different resorts on property that time of year.

For out of towners I know it can get pricey, but I'd recommend staying on property. Doing so makes WDW feel like a real refuge. You can take the buses everywhere. You get the parks opening early or staying open late just for resort guests. And even the least expensive resorts are well themed.

I totally agree with you here , Mac. I went in November a couple years back and they already had the christmas stuff up. My soon to be wife and I had an awesome time at all the parks. The christmas atmosphere just added to the already great time.

Also, staying at the park was completely and utterly best decision I made the whole trip. They grabbed our bags at the airport and literally 3 hours after we took off from Cleveland, I was in Epcot. The price really was not that much higher staying at the park but the amenities were totally worth it.

I loved that place and cannot wait to go back. If you cant be happy at Disney World, you cant be happy anywhere.

[Bill the Butcher]

If you cant be happy at Disney World, you cant be happy anywhere.

Bingo. Disney World truly is the happiest place on Earth.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

I totally agree with you here , Mac. I went in November a couple years back and they already had the christmas stuff up. My soon to be wife and I had an awesome time at all the parks. The christmas atmosphere just added to the already great time.

Also, staying at the park was completely and utterly best decision I made the whole trip. They grabbed our bags at the airport and literally 3 hours after we took off from Cleveland, I was in Epcot. The price really was not that much higher staying at the park but the amenities were totally worth it.

I loved that place and cannot wait to go back. If you cant be happy at Disney World, you cant be happy anywhere.

And with Disney they can build a complete package for you for your trip. Hotel, meals, however many days you want at the parks. You don't need a car if you're staying at Disney - they take care of everything. However, driving there and dealing with how Disney manages traffic and parking, I am a big believer that it would be wise to consult them on traffic management matters around the country. They have such a great feel for the flow of traffic and crowds.

I've been to the Magic Kingdom multiple times at close (including New Year's Eve) and it is amazing how quickly they move so many people out. They've gotten better over the years. There is now a bus circle off the side of the main entrance to the Magic Kingdom that service resort guests. That is a newer addition (well, ten years or so). It used to be that everyone had to take the ferry or the monorail back to their hotel or the Transportation and Ticket Center. Now they have the smaller boats that can take you to the resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon and the buses to the other resorts to make movement on the monorail and ferry even faster. I recall being in a monorail line that was redirected every which way to ensure other guests could get around it if they were taking other modes of transportation. Had to be at least five thousand people in front of me - probably more. Took 15 minutes to get on the monorail and we got to the car around 20 minutes after getting in line.

And while the monorail ride into the Magic Kingdom is definitely needed, the ferry should not be missed either. It's a great slow build and gives you a chance to take in everything around you. Even if you're not staying at one of the resorts on the Lagoon, I would advise renting a boat if you have time and taking it out on the Lagoon or into the adjacent Bay Lake. Or take one of the small ferries to Wilderness Lodge and enjoy Bay Lake opening up in front of you. I tend to prefer getting a motor boat from Wilderness Lodge.

[jack_tors]

I totally agree with you here , Mac. I went in November a couple years back and they already had the christmas stuff up. My soon to be wife and I had an awesome time at all the parks. The christmas atmosphere just added to the already great time.

Also, staying at the park was completely and utterly best decision I made the whole trip. They grabbed our bags at the airport and literally 3 hours after we took off from Cleveland, I was in Epcot. The price really was not that much higher staying at the park but the amenities were totally worth it.

I loved that place and cannot wait to go back. If you cant be happy at Disney World, you cant be happy anywhere.

And with Disney they can build a complete package for you for your trip. Hotel, meals, however many days you want at the parks. You don't need a car if you're staying at Disney - they take care of everything. However, driving there and dealing with how Disney manages traffic and parking, I am a big believer that it would be wise to consult them on traffic management matters around the country. They have such a great feel for the flow of traffic and crowds.

I've been to the Magic Kingdom multiple times at close (including New Year's Eve) and it is amazing how quickly they move so many people out. They've gotten better over the years. There is now a bus circle off the side of the main entrance to the Magic Kingdom that service resort guests. That is a newer addition (well, ten years or so). It used to be that everyone had to take the ferry or the monorail back to their hotel or the Transportation and Ticket Center. Now they have the smaller boats that can take you to the resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon and the buses to the other resorts to make movement on the monorail and ferry even faster. I recall being in a monorail line that was redirected every which way to ensure other guests could get around it if they were taking other modes of transportation. Had to be at least five thousand people in front of me - probably more. Took 15 minutes to get on the monorail and we got to the car around 20 minutes after getting in line.

And while the monorail ride into the Magic Kingdom is definitely needed, the ferry should not be missed either. It's a great slow build and gives you a chance to take in everything around you. Even if you're not staying at one of the resorts on the Lagoon, I would advise renting a boat if you have time and taking it out on the Lagoon or into the adjacent Bay Lake. Or take one of the small ferries to Wilderness Lodge and enjoy Bay Lake opening up in front of you. I tend to prefer getting a motor boat from Wilderness Lodge.

Right on Mac, Disney people moving works like clockwork. Its crazy, I rarely waited and took Disney transportation everywhere, no problems at all. Mostly took the bus but took a boat ride from Port Orleans, our hotel, to downtown Disney a couple of times. Very nice..

The customer service was stellar too. People were friendly and helpful. Although I spent a lot of caysh, it was worth it because it was so utterly relaxing.

[Squints]

Love the discussion here. We stayed at the Contemporary. While it lacks a true theme, i.e. Polynesian or the Floridian, its amenities are still top notch and its the most convenient of the resorts. The Magic Kingdom is literally across the street, great if that's where you will spend the most of your time, like us, and the Transportation Center/Monorail to Epcot is the first Monorail stop from the hotel. Chef Mickey's, one of the more popular character dinners is in the hotel as well.

Even though it was crowded, we never waited more than 45 minutes for a ride and took full advantage of the extra magic hours and the fast past- I'm surprised Cedar point has not copied the fast past idea.

FWIW, my personal favorites

Epcot- Soarin', which I believe you guys are referring as the hang gliding ride- probably my favorite attraction in what we did; Close second is the Test Track; I am a travel, geography junkie and loved the World Showcase

Magic Kingdom- In all honesty, it was watching my daughter watch the parades, meet the characters and ride the rides. This was may favorite part of the whole trip. Space Mountain; The Haunted Mansion had me asking "How did they do that?" over and over.

Hollywood Studios- Rockin' Rollercoaster

Animal Kingdom- Expidition Everest and Dinosaur is probably the most realistic dinosaur ride you can make.

Wish I could go back.

Best Meal- Chrystal Palace dinner buffet

[stretch51]

I went to Disney World 12 years ago on my honeymoon. Seriously.

It sure beat any other place to honeymoon.

Back in the day, AAA used to give killer rates on combo tickets, airfare, rental cars, and property rooms. We got married in October, and we caught an early flight going to Atlanta, then to Orlando.

We got to Key West Resort. It was pretty new. The bus lines were nothing to get to each property and park. It was like having our own limo.

Best part was that they claimed they "over booked". We had asked for a basic standard room with a sitting room. They had one room left which happened to be a 3rd story penthouse suite with a garden bath, king bed suite, and separate living room and full kitchen. They had a deck that overlooked the lagoon and the Epcot Ball. We saw fireworks every night. Since it was a honeymoon, we got a bottle of chilled champagne everynight with robes and big fluffy towels. We also weren't planning on eating in our room, but we now had a kitchen and Disney arranged us to go to the Publix on grounds for food shopping.

Great time.

[jack_tors]

FWIW, my personal favorites

Epcot- second is the Test Track; I am a travel, geography junkie and loved the World Showcase

Test track damn near gave me a heart attack. I dont like roller coasters or anything similar to it so when my soon to be wife said it wasnt anything to worry about, I should have known she was lying. LOL..

Agree with you on the World Showcase, I totally thought it rocked too. Ate at the Mexican restaurant there in Epcot and it was awesome.

I went to Disney World 12 years ago on my honeymoon. Seriously.

It sure beat any other place to honeymoon.

I believe it Stretch. I am getting married in September and we have had numerous discussions about going there for our honeymoon. We opted for Hilton Head instead because we wanted to relax for the week but I am lobbying for Disney to be our 1 year anniversary celerbration spot.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

FWIW, my personal favorites

Epcot- second is the Test Track; I am a travel, geography junkie and loved the World Showcase

Test track damn near gave me a heart attack. I dont like roller coasters or anything similar to it so when my soon to be wife said it wasnt anything to worry about, I should have known she was lying. LOL..

Agree with you on the World Showcase, I totally thought it rocked too. Ate at the Mexican restaurant there in Epcot and it was awesome. [/quote]

The sight and sound of vehicles flying by overhead outside the ride wasn't a clue? Best to do what the lady wants anyways.

World Showcase is great. The American Adventure is one of my favorite theme park attractions period. I'm a historian and think they did a pretty good condensing some much American history into such a short period of time while making it entertaining.

It's easy enough to spend plenty of time wondering around each pavilion.

I believe it Stretch. I am getting married in September and we have had numerous discussions about going there for our honeymoon. We opted for Hilton Head instead because we wanted to relax for the week but I am lobbying for Disney to be our 1 year anniversary celerbration spot.

Another great spot. I love Hilton Head. Plenty of amenities on the island, but everything is set up so you can feel so far away from the world and that's a good thing. They have strict lightning regulations on the island so no business sign is posted far above the ground and all lighting on the outside is fairly dim. Very little dayglo at night so when you go out on the beach you can see so many stars, though you need to bring a flashlight because there are not lights on the beach.

[Naxos]

I went back a few years ago with the future wife.

Now I am waiting for the day when my little girl is old enough to go back.

I think I have been there during all the major stages of my life. 6, 13, 18, 28. It will basically be coming full circle for me once I get to bring my children.

[jack_tors]

FWIW, my personal favorites

Epcot- second is the Test Track; I am a travel, geography junkie and loved the World Showcase

Test track damn near gave me a heart attack. I dont like roller coasters or anything similar to it so when my soon to be wife said it wasnt anything to worry about, I should have known she was lying. LOL..

Agree with you on the World Showcase, I totally thought it rocked too. Ate at the Mexican restaurant there in Epcot and it was awesome.

The sight and sound of vehicles flying by overhead outside the ride wasn't a clue? Best to do what the lady wants anyways.

Yeah, should have paid attention but honestly, I dont think i saw the cars whizzing by until after I got off. I was so engrossed with the park and what not I dont think I saw the cars going by until it was all over. Very creative ride, even if it scared the pants off me.

I believe it Stretch. I am getting married in September and we have had numerous discussions about going there for our honeymoon. We opted for Hilton Head instead because we wanted to relax for the week but I am lobbying for Disney to be our 1 year anniversary celerbration spot.

Another great spot. I love Hilton Head. Plenty of amenities on the island, but everything is set up so you can feel so far away from the world and that's a good thing. They have strict lightning regulations on the island so no business sign is posted far above the ground and all lighting on the outside is fairly dim. Very little dayglo at night so when you go out on the beach you can see so many stars, though you need to bring a flashlight because there are not lights on the beach.

Thanks for the information, I am pumped! Never been down there before but have heard great things. She likes to relax and lay on the beach while I like to explore. Figured the honeymoon should be more about us and laying low so I found a nice place there.

[Squints]

I went back a few years ago with the future wife.

Now I am waiting for the day when my little girl is old enough to go back.

I think I have been there during all the major stages of my life. 6, 13, 18, 28. It will basically be coming full circle for me once I get to bring my children.

This will be your favorite part of your entire time at Disney. No matter what attractions you do on your own or if you have a "date night" during your stay, your favorite part will be watching your daughter's eyes light up at the characters, parades, etc. It was for me and my wife. Now excuse me as I must do something manly to make up for that sentence!

[Mr. MacPhisto]

This will be your favorite part of your entire time at Disney. No matter what attractions you do on your own or if you have a "date night" during your stay, your favorite part will be watching your daughter's eyes light up at the characters, parades, etc. It was for me and my wife. Now excuse me as I must do something manly to make up for that sentence!

So did you go and punch a clown or a mime after that? That's as manly as one can get apart from sleeping with a woman.

[consigliere]

Disney World is great. Went there several times as a kid, and we have taken our kids there every year for the past 5 years since we go to Florida twice a year (not this year). They love it.

Anyone been to Disney Land out in LA? When we go out for spring training in Arizona next year we thought about taking a 2-3 day side trip to take the kids to Disney Land. I have never been there, and while I would think it is the lesser of the two parks, anyone have anything to share on it?

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Disney World is great. Went there several times as a kid, and we have taken our kids there every year for the past 5 years since we go to Florida twice a year (not this year). They love it.

Anyone been to Disney Land out in LA? When we go out for spring training in Arizona next year we thought about taking a 2-3 day side trip to take the kids to Disney Land. I have never been there, and while I would think it is the lesser of the two parks, anyone have anything to share on it?

DisneyLand is also fun, but you don't feel like you've "gotten away" as much. There's no getting away from the fact that you're right in the middle of Anaheim. It's not quite as grand in some ways, though some of the rides are grander. Mister Toad's Wild Ride is still there and is better than the WDW version ever was. Haunted Mansion is about the same, though a bit different and the look of the mansion is very different. Small World is far more detailed. Pirates of the Caribbean is much longer with far more going on. There's an Indiana Jones ride in Adventureland that originated the ride system used on Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom. Space Mountain is much better, but it got a complete rebuild a few years ago. They also still have a submarine ride still out there. They never had 20,000 Leagues but instead had a ride in Tomorrowland called Submarine Voyage. It has been redone and now has story with the characters from Finding Nemo. There's also the Matterhorn, the first tubular steel roller coaster ever made. It was Walt's idea to use steel on a coaster. There's a boat ride in Fantasyland where you see miniatures from different Disney animated films. The castle has a great walkthrough taking you through the story of Sleeping Beauty. The rides in Fantasyland are more detailed generally with two not at WDW, one based on Alice in Wonderland and the other based on Pinocchio.

Then there's the California Adventure park. Only Toy Story Mania and Soarin exist at WDW. Soarin was originally built for California Adventure.

The nice things is that there are many things familiar and different about DisneyLand.

I'd also love to get to the other Disney parks around the world. DisneyLand Paris is supposed to be the most detailed of the traditional Disney parks.

The second park in Tokyo looks amazing. It's called Tokyo DisneySea and the the detail there is astonishing.

http://www.tdrfan.com/tds/overview_of_tds/index.htm

[Commodore Perry]

So I'm going to be in Disney World next weekend... during both the USC game and the Browns home opener. Very poor planning.

Any suggestions on where to watch some football in Disney World?

[Bill the Butcher]

Disney owns ESPN, right?

I'm pretty sure there's an ESPN Zone somewhere in or by the park...

http://www.espnzone.com/

[jack_tors]

Disney owns ESPN, right?

I'm pretty sure there's an ESPN Zone somewhere in or by the park...

http://www.espnzone.com/

Yeah, there is an ESPN zone down where all the shopping and restaurants are in Downtown Disney/ Pleasure Island. Its separate from the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, etc.. I didnt go to ESPN Zone but did hit up Ghirardelli's and Wolfgang Puck's restaurant while in Downtown Disney. Great area, lots to do.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Disney owns ESPN, right?

I'm pretty sure there's an ESPN Zone somewhere in or by the park...

http://www.espnzone.com/

Yeah, there is an ESPN zone down where all the shopping and restaurants are in Downtown Disney/ Pleasure Island. Its separate from the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, etc.. I didnt go to ESPN Zone but did hit up Ghirardelli's and Wolfgang Puck's restaurant while in Downtown Disney. Great area, lots to do.

Actually there is no ESPN Zone at Downtown Disney.

What you want is the ESPN Club over at the Disney Boardwalk.

There's a walking path between Hollywood Studios and Epcot with the Boardwalk in between both. You can take a boat from the International Gateway exit at Epcot to get over to the Boardwalk. It runs between Epcot and The Studios, stopping along the way at the Swan and Dolphin Hotels (recommended and possibly my faves, though not run by Disney despite being on their property), the Boardwalk, adn the Caribbean Beach Resort IIRC.

The International Gateway at Epcot is located between the UK and France pavilions on the UK side of the river coming off the lagoon.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/epcot.htm

If you wish to watch the whole game then I'd recommend getting to the boat stop an hour and a half before a game because the ESPN Club gets very crowded.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resort ... espn-club/

If coming from Hollywood Studios, the boat dock is in front of the park's entrance. You can see it in the bottom right corner of this map, to the left of the Fantasmic stadium (which is a show very much worth seeing, btw).

http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/MGM.htm

Any other questions feel free to ask.

Unfortunately there is nothing at the Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom when it comes to sports. You'd have to drive over to the Boardwalk or take a bus to the Boardwalk Inn to get there from one of the parks. There is a bus lot at the Magic Kingdom, so if you take the bus to one of the onsite hotels then you don't need to go back to the Transportation and Ticket Center.

[jb]

I was going to post before I left on where exactly to go and do, but my wife already had everything booked and planned.

However, now that I am back I must say that this was one of the best vacations that I have taken. To see it (Disney) through a child's eyes was incredible and you can almost rewind your life back to that time when you were a child when innocence was not lost.

If it's in your means, everyone should try to make down there if you haven't already, especially those of us with younger kids, but it's for everyone too- incredible customer service from everyone, exceptionally clean and everything was easily acessable. It wasn't all sunshine and roses- to say it was crowded is to say the Browns are a below average football team and I witnessed some of the rudest behavior from adults that I ever have in my life given the setting. However, I still had an awesome time and would highly recomend it to anyone.

Went when I was a child and being an Ohio kid and all about roller coasters I still havent gotten over the fact that Space Mountain was closed when we went.

Moose at the gate shoulda told yah.

[Commodore Perry]

Wow Mac, thanks for that detailed answer. I'll be getting to ESPN early to get a seat.

I'm at Disney right now. This is the week to go, it is absolutely dead. Staying at Port Orleans - Riverside. This place is beautiful. Very relaxing.

Disney has to get on board with free wi-fi. They charge $9.95 to hook your computer up to a cable in your room for only 24 hours. Outrageous. But there are places with free wi-fi only a few minutes off the property.

[FlaMike]

If ESPN gets too crowded, might also want to look into grabbing a cab (if you don't have a car) and head to Orlando Ale House (http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/a ... e-menu.htm), the website has a map as well. It's probably 5 minutes from Port Orleans. For what it's worth, there's also a Hooters in Lake Buena Vista

[peeker643]

Wow Mac, thanks for that detailed answer. I'll be getting to ESPN early to get a seat.

I'm at Disney right now. This is the week to go, it is absolutely dead. Staying at Port Orleans - Riverside. This place is beautiful. Very relaxing.

Disney has to get on board with free wi-fi. They charge $9.95 to hook your computer up to a cable in your room for only 24 hours. Outrageous. But there are places with free wi-fi only a few minutes off the property.

You're not buying four $6 bottles of water if you're using the $9.95 internet. Disney didn't raise no dummies. Have a good time. Make sure to disconnect the vacuum hose from your checkbook when you leave.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Wow Mac, thanks for that detailed answer. I'll be getting to ESPN early to get a seat.

I'm at Disney right now. This is the week to go, it is absolutely dead. Staying at Port Orleans - Riverside. This place is beautiful. Very relaxing.

Disney has to get on board with free wi-fi. They charge $9.95 to hook your computer up to a cable in your room for only 24 hours. Outrageous. But there are places with free wi-fi only a few minutes off the property.

Riverside is one of my faves. And I agree with the wifi, but Disney doesn't like to do "free", even for cheap services in their hotels. Plenty of wifi over in the Crossroads area just past Downtown Disney.

And, looking at the path on Google Earth, it's a fairly short walk for the International Gateway at Epcot to the ESPN Club.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 9&t=k&z=18

The UK pavilion is in the upper right hand corner. Immediately south of that just north of the river is the International Gateway. Following that path and heading south will get you to the ESPN Club. The Boardwalk is the big building on the bottom center of the screen and the ESPN Club is the first thing, the large area on the corner. It's probably just over a quarter mile walk from the Epcot exit to the ESPN Club. It's much further from Hollywood Studios (probably at least 3/4 of a mile).

[Squints]

Make sure to disconnect the vacuum hose from your checkbook when you leave.

LOL. But it was worth every penny.